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Sainsbury's said a small number of staff may be adversely affected, adding that top-up payments will be made for 18 months to ensure no-one earns less than they do today.

Consultations with staff have started and the new pay rate is planned to start in September.

Sainsbury's retail and operations director Simon Roberts said: "The retail sector has never been more competitive and we know that our customers really value our colleagues and the excellent service they provide in our shops.

"Which is why we think it is so important to invest further in our colleagues so they feel rewarded and motivated to do the best possible job for our customers every day.

"We expect the best from our teams and that's why we're committing to a leading rate of pay. Great pay for great work.

"Together with our recent proposals to change our management structure in stores, we believe the proposed changes will set us up to run the best shops in the industry, delivering the best possible service for our customers."

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Joanne McGuinness, national officer of the shopworkers' union Usdaw, said: "Usdaw has long been making the case for the real living wage and beyond, so this deal takes Sainsbury's staff 45p per hour above that £8.75 rate.

"While this is welcome news for Usdaw members working in Sainsbury's, we will be looking closely at the whole deal, as we understand the company are proposing some contractual changes.

"Consolidating pay can benefit staff, but we want to check the effects on all individual workers."

The national living wage is £7.50 an hour for over 25-year-olds, while the voluntary "real" figure is £8.75, and £10.20 in London.